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Special Section on Compensation
Making the Most of Scarce Reward Dollars: Why Differentiation Makes a Difference 
by Jeffrey J. Fuller and Rebecca Tinkham
New analysis reveals that organizations worldwide are decreasing compensation rewards to their employees. Companies must use their remaining reward budget effectively to differentiate the rewards of the top performers, thus driving an increase in the return on investment in human capital.
Securing Benefits in an Insecure Time
by Robert J. Birdsell and David L. Wolfe
Rabbi trusts, secular trusts and numerous trends in modern plan design offer heightened security to plan participants, which enhances the employer’s total compensation strategy.
Executive Benefits in a Pay-for-Performance Environment
by Janet Den Uyl and Patricia Kopacz, CEBS
In a pay-for-performance system, all components of the total compensation program must be aligned. This article explores the elements of a core executive benefits package; why they are used; prevalent practices; typical design issues; and tax, legal or other considerations.
Value-Added Total Compensation Statements: Developing Strategic Content for a Winning Communication
by Robyn T. Costello
Employers can use Web- or print-based total compensation statements to give employees personalized information about their benefits and deliver exceptional value to both the employees and the organization.
Special Section on Prescription Drug Benefits
The Value of Pharmaceuticals Some Direction for Employers
by Ron Z. Goetzel, Ronald J. Ozminkowski and David C. Schutt, M.D.
Employers should consider value over cost and make decisions based on diagnostics and research. Doing so should produce both human and financial dividends.
Managing Pharmacy Benefits Cost-Effectively for an Aging Workforce
by Wayne Miller and Charles Bertucio
Employers and plan sponsors need to provide cost-effective pharmacy benefits to all Americans, especially baby boomers, all of whom will be using more prescriptions that cost more. Employers and union trusts can use a pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company that focuses on improving patient outcomes and creating a phased approach to a disciplined pharmacy management strategy.
Pharmacy Discount Card Programs: Catching Up With the Health Markets
by Drew Edwards
Pharmacy costs continue to rise, as does the number of senior citizens. One of the ways of containing costs may be the pharmacy discount drug card program, for both seniors and the general population.
Value Propositions in Future Pharmaceutical Benefits
by F. Randy Vogenberg
Within this decade, benefit managers will see radically new diagnostics and drugs that will change drug benefit planning. Various value propositions and benefit trends must be considered in light of the new drug pipeline.
General Articles
Retiree Health Coverage
by Joseph A. Brislin
Strategies to ensure economic viability of a multiemployer retiree medical plan include overcoming myths, obtaining data, minimizing political issues, and providing communication and education. Resolution of issues and problems should be a part of a strategic planning process rather than dealt with on an emergency or quick fix basis.
The Privacy Rule: HIPAA Standards for the Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information
by Lisa W. Wang
Compliance with the Privacy Rule includes appointing a security official, making some basic assessments about a fund’s current policies and procedures, assessing security protocols for network systems, developing a participant complaint mechanism and creating an internal grievance procedure.
Anatomy of a Multiemployer Fiduciary Liability Insurance Policy
by Charles Valerio and Julie Zimmer
Every policy should include 44 elements categorized into six insurance buyers’ issues: who is insured; what is insured; what is excluded; how much is insured; how is a claim made or paid; and other buyer issues. These elements form a sound basis for the daunting task of comparing policies.
Endpoint Bias and the Generation of Expected Returns
by Alan Spatrick
Capital markets do not generally provide predictable short-term investment returns. Careful examination of capital market history, however, can allow investors to make useful estimates of expected long-term returns. Investors should test multiple subperiods to mitigate the bias that may result from arbitrary starting and ending points (known as endpoint bias).